The Walking Dead: Termination Season 3
by HOBOKAT
Summary: After the farm, Rick Grimes leads his group, along with the Connors, across Georgia in attempts to find a new safe haven. Cameron, a machine now broken, attempts to fit in with a group that fears what she is. However, all that is put on hold when they all realize that their world is much larger than they had originally thought. Can they fight man, machine, and the dead?
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**With how poorly received the ending of the last story was, I apologize for how it played out. Hopefully, I can do it justice and attempt to make this season greater!**

**The first two chapters after this will be similar to season 3 of **_**The Walking Dead**_**, but I assure you it will change dramatically as the story pushes on.**

**Now without further ado...**

**The Walking Dead: Termination Season 3**

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

_**Atlanta, Georgia, June 17, 2011: (Center for Disease Control)**_

There was once a time when the world was normal. There were no worries of a virus violently spreading, ultimately leading to a deadly outbreak. No chaos and anarchy. There was no worry about a machine triggered nuclear apocalypse. Fighting a war that meant humanities fate. It was only about living life to fullest, trying to accomplish as much as you could before you got too old, and your time to pass finally came.

But now….. now, what was the point? This was it. Their extinction event. He just never thought he'd be living through that day. Humanity now hung on a thread, and there was no bouncing back from this. Nature had enough of humanity's careless decisions to poison this world and decided to retaliate.

The dead have risen. He tried everything in his power to cure this phenomenon. It was all futile.

"**6 minutes until decontamination."**

Alarms blared throughout the entire room, as the large video monitor begun a countdown. But for what exactly? She had only been here for two months. What could have happened? In the hallway, a redheaded woman marched down the corridor, until she found herself in the main cortex. There, she immediately found a lone man sitting in one of the chairs drinking from a bottle of wine.

One thing ran through the man's mind as he would take a long swig from a wine bottle: this was it. The end. All he could do was feel sorry for himself. He felt like he had truly failed not just himself, but his wife. Better yet, he failed the entire world.

"What is the meaning of this, Doctor Jenner?" The woman demanded in a flat tone. She referred to the alarms, and more specifically, the large countdown timer.

"Vi has prioritized power to other more important functions." Jenner simply answered, taking another swig from his wine bottle.

The woman walked up to him, and snatched the bottle from his hand and glared at him with confusion. "And what is it prioritizing?" Jenner didn't answer and instead looked at the large computer monitor. "Edwin, don't make me ask again. What is Vi prioritizing?"

"You know what this place is, Catherine. We've protected the public from some very nasty things." Jenner blared loudly. Catherine didn't seem fazed by his sudden violence demeanor. "The French were the last to hold out. They kept going for as long as they could while my people were running out the doors and committing suicide in the hallways, they stayed in the labs till the end. They thought they had a solution, but the same thing is happening here."

"The end?" Catherine tilted her head.

"No power grid. They ran out of juice." Jenner clarified. "The world runs on fossil fuel. I mean, how stupid is that?"

"I don't understand?" Catherine continued to stare at the man in absolute confusion. "You still haven't answered my question. Why is Vi prioritizing all power to other functions?"

"In the event of a catastrophic power failure, or terrorist attack, for example. HITs are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out."

Catherine's eyes went wide upon hearing this. "You plan on destroying this facility?"

"It's not something I control! The computer does!" Jenner explained.

"Then ask Vi to stop the countdown, Jenner." Catherine more hastily.

Jenner shook his head. "As I said, I can't do that. It's better this way. For me at least."

"Taking the cowards way out?" Catherine inquired. "Where I came from, people have seen more death and destruction than what has happened here. Some kept fighting, and some didn't give up when facing difficult odds."

"Save it, Weaver!" Jenner slammed his fist into the console. "I don't need to hear anything from you! Not from some… some damn machine! You will never know what it's like to lose everything! To end up here, alone underground for God knows how long, looking for a cure that doesn't even exist! To have whoever is still remaining out there's hope, but secretly knowing that it will be all shit on in the next few minutes!"

"If that's what you want, then I am leaving. If this building is indeed facing imminent destruction, then I don't want to be caught in it."

Catherine turned to leave and started stalking towards the door. But to her absolute surprise, the blast doors shut right in front of her. She looked at the scientist with rage in her eyes.

"Open the door."

"I told you that when those doors close, there is no opening them again. You heard me say that."

"That was before I knew you planned on locking me in here with you." Weaver pointed out. "Open the door, Edwin." To empathize her seriousness, Weaver's arm turned into a silvery mass, with a blade taking form.

"Now."

"I'm dead anyway," Jenner calmly said and took a seat. "Do what you must, but no-one is leaving."

"Your wife was a brilliant woman. She wouldn't want this-"

"And what makes you think you even know what she would have wanted?" Jenner asked. "Tell me, Weaver. What makes you think that?"

"Because I have a daughter!" Weaver unexpectedly snapped. "By killing me, I will never get to see her again."

"You're a damn machine! How can you have a daughter!? How can you even feel anything for her!?"

"I took her in when her mother passed. I do love her… that is a fact I have ignored for far too long." She looked back at Jenner, with a more pleading expression. "I understand more than you believe. Please give me the chance to see her again. I am the only one who can protect her."

Jenner was stunned. A few nights ago he planned on calling it quits and putting a gun in his mouth. But when Catherine showed up, some hope in him returned, if very little. She offered her assistance in finding a cure, to which he couldn't say no. The more help, the better. During that time she revealed what she really was, taking the free time to educate him on her past, and what would've come. He learned first hand that machines were emotionless, and only had a goal in mind.

But to hear this now? Coming from a machine that specifically told him all this? What was it? Did they feel? Was it all just some lie?

"I'm sorry, Catherine… I can't open the doors," he sadly informed. The look on Weaver's face turned into disappointment. "But… there is a ventilation shaft that leads to the roof of the building. You can escape through there."

For the first time since meeting Catherine Weaver, Jenner actually saw her smile. It was a beautiful smile. One that he was happy to see with what time is left.

"**48 seconds until decontamination."**

He looked at the clock, seeing that there were only forty seconds left. Time really did fly by.

"Goodbye, Edwin. It was a pleasure working with you." Without waiting for a response, Catherine melted into her silvery mass and started climbing the walls until she had squeezed through the vent located on the south side of the cortex.

When she was gone, Jenner took the wine bottle and taking another swig. He chuckled to himself as the counter ran out.

"Goodluck, Catherine."

Before he could process another thought, the ground shook violently, and a bright light was what greeted him. Then there was silence.

_**KABOOM!**_

The whole structure shook and crumbled as fire had engulfed every square inch. The deafening explosion could be heard for miles. Then, there was silence. Crackling was all that was heard, while smoke has risen from the destroyed structure. In the flames, Weaver emerged and turned to look at what was once the Center for Disease Control. But now… now it was a heap of rubble and fire. No-one could have survived that. Yet _she _did. Not even escaping in enough time, she was able to walk out unscathed.

Now it was over. There would be no cure to be found. What was next?

Weaver broke out of her thoughts upon hearing shouting, and cries of… joy? All originating from the distance. She turned into her silvery mass once more, and melted into the ground, camouflaging herself, where she began skimming her way over to the familiar voices, where she silently observed from a few feet away.

She watched as the female had tightly engulfed a young man, and a teenage girl into a tight embrace while yelling out their names. She immediately recognized them. John Connor; his cyborg protector: Cameron; and Alex Mathews.

"A-Alex? How!?" John inquired in disbelief.

"I should be asking you two the same thing!" Alex mockingly quipped to both of them. "I can't believe you're here!" She had her family back. She held them in her arms, with tears starting to run down her face.

Weaver then noticed someone- no, some other people join the small formed group. James Ellison, and… Savannah? She was here, too? How? Everyone she befriended was almost a thousand miles away. Where she had left them. After everything went down. She was thankful that her daughter was here, and was alive. After seeing first hand what this virus was, she feared the worse for Savannah.

Alex didn't want too, but she knew she had to let them go eventually. She reluctantly released the two from the embrace and saw two more familiar faces run up to them. "It's really good to see you, Ellison," She greeted and shook the former agent's hand.

"What are the odds that we'd find you here?" Ellison chuckled and returned the gesture.

Alex looked down, next to Ellison and saw the little redhead who cowered behind the man. She knelt down towards Savannah and gave her a bright smile. "Hello, Savannah."

"Hi, Alex," Savannah replied shyly. She met Alex before but thought she was a little _off_ sometimes. A little messed up in the head when she spoke.

"Alex!"

Weaver reacted slightly when hearing a foreign voice shout one of her associate's name. She was about to consider him a possible threat as the man walked up to them. But due to the relaxed looked, and posture Alex had, she didn't intervene. She only waited until there was a reason to attack the stranger.

"We have to leave now-" the man explained frantically, until stopped mid-sentence, when he saw the small group of people that Alex was standing amongst. "Alex. Who are they?" he asked, tightly gripping his shotgun just in case. He didn't know these people, and by the looks the brunette teenager gave him, he judged her as considering to take his weapon.

"Shane, This is John, Cameron, James Ellison, and Savannah Weaver," Alex introduced. "I knew them back in Los Angeles."

Shane eyed the new group, but lowered his shotgun, a moment later, and stuck his hand out at John. "Officer Shane Walsh with the King County police department."

John hesitantly gave Shane's hand a firm shake before letting go. He still didn't trust just anyone. Not after Oklahoma. Cameron just glared at him with her stoic expression. She too didn't trust him. John was honestly surprised she didn't rip his throat out or unload an entire clip into him.

As if irony was the main factor behind his thoughts, Cameron raised her Glock 17 at four more people who came running up to them. By the looks of them, they were part of the same group, Cameron assessed. One wore some light tan police uniform, while the others wore more casual clothing. The woman wore a button shirt, and the slightly more obese man wore a white tank top. The last one was an elderly man, who wore a Hawaiian shirt, complete with a fishing cap. They didn't give the appearance of a threat, so she eased back a little and relaxed.

The man who was wearing the sheriff's uniform stepped forward and stood right next to Shane as he suspiciously eyed John and Cameron. "Who are they?" He asked Shane specifically.

Shane reintroduced everyone to whom their names were revealed to be Rick Grimes, Morales, Lori Grimes, and Dale. They shared a brief conversation before Shane interrupted. "As much as this reunion warms my heart, we have to leave before any Walkers show up."

Everyone else nodded in acknowledgment. It was already dark outside, with the only light they had come from the fire that was still raging in the ruins of what once was the Center for Disease Control. Right now a safe place was of top priority. With that, everybody piled back into their vehicles and drove away from the scene, in search of any safe haven they could find at the dark hours of the night.

_**3 Days After CDC Destruction:**_

The more they moved through vehicles, the harder she found it to keep up. Even for a T-1000 who had the capabilities to easily sprint after them, she found that staying at a distance was more ideal. For the meantime at least. Revealing herself in front of this group, that John Connor had started following, was not something she had intent with. Only when they decided to move on, she'd join them, and Savannah.

But for the meantime, she took to staying right on the highway where the group had set supplies for Savannah. She stood stoically, right next to the old tan colored Mustang until either a Walker passed by, where she would kill it; or the group would return and she'd have to hide. Mostly through blending her mass into the vehicle's exterior.

Sometimes, a small, unknown group would come passing by, where she'd hide out until they came close enough to the vehicle, and see the supplies left, and try to steal them. It was quite foolish however when they would immediately meet a metal spear into their chests and would be dragged away into the bushes. There, Catherine took any picked up items, from the left supplies, and set them back on the hood, in their original spot.

_**5 Days After CDC Destruction:**_

Another foolish human made the mistake of walking into the trap. Walking into her trap, where they would try and take Savannah's food and water. She would never let that happen, and she would never leave until Savannah came to her.

She had her mind made up. When Savannah came back, she'd take her back to the Greene family farm, and join up with John Connor and his cyborgs. She couldn't show her true nature of course, but she'd be with Savannah, and that's all that mattered to her.

But right now. Now, she needed to be rid of this heavy body. After a few days, she began to tally her kills on the poor, disparate groups that kept passing by.

Catherine dragged the man down the hill, and into the woods, where she found a convenient hole near a pond that was perfect for hiding the bodies. They were perfect, aside for the hole being empty every time she returned. But she knew the reason. The reason why it was always free space and would always remain that way.

After hiding away the body, Catherine exited the hole and walked up the creek bed. As she began to stalk back to the interstate, she immediately stopped when she heard leaves rustling, and twigs snapping. Her hands morphed into two metal blades, and she quickly turned around, ready to strike.

But thanks to her reflexes, she stopped immediately, when she saw it to be a redheaded girl to have wrapped her arms around her waist. The same red hair that she had.

"Mommy!" Savannah exclaimed with weakness. Catherine's hands turned back to normal and she looked down at her daughter with a blank expression. But deep down she was delighted to see her daughter. That was until she looked closer and saw the gash on her shoulder.

Before she could even begin to inquire what happened, her daughter fell to the ground, kicking up leaves and dirt. Immediately, she bent down to her daughter's aid and rolled Savannah onto her lap. She closely examined the wound and saw it to be bleeding erratically.

"Savannah… w-what happened?" Catherine inquired with a strain of sorrow.

"A m-m-monster… a-a-attacked me…" Savannah explained with tears falling down her cheek. Catherine noticed the signs. She was sweating, her eyes were red, and she had an extreme fever.

She knew what this was. After studying the symptoms, she knew exactly what was occurring. There was one thing that she was made up of, and it felt as if she was melting. There was this girl, that posed as her daughter, and she was dying in her arms. "Savannah. I don't know what to do."

"I-I'm s-s-s-scared," she whimpered.

Catherine forced a sad smile. Her eyes felt as of moisture has collected, and was dripping down her face. She touched her cheek, only to see her liquid mass form back onto the surface of her skin.

She was crying? How? She was a killing machine and an efficient one at that. Was this part of Skynet's design when creating her? This wasn't possible, she could never feel anything like this before.

It wasn't real, it had to be. Both events were just some daydream, some elaborate glitch. But they weren't. Being a model that didn't suffer anything as did other Terminators. She was a unique design, probably as special as Cameron. She was experiencing… emotion for the first time, and didn't know how to feel about it.

What she told Jenner was originally false. She only used his emotions to trick him into feeling empathy so that she could survive. It was all for self-preservation, yet now…. Now what she told herself was a lie. What she told Jenner was the truth, and she didn't know it yet.

"I… I'm sorry Savannah." This time there was nothing held back. Half of her liquid mass had seeped from her eyes, and she quivered quietly while stroking Savannah's hair, trying to comfort her. "I wish I was a better mother to you. I left to protect you, and to save you… but even I failed that mission."

"Will you stay with me?" Savannah requested weakly.

And she did. Catherine stayed sitting on the ground, with her daughter dying on her lap; as the life began to slowly fade out of her. She softly talked to Savannah, recalling past memories, and things she wished she could have done better for her. She even recited a song that she once heard Savannah and John Henry sing from long ago. She did everything to make the little innocent girl's passing as peaceful as it could have been.

But inevitably, she succumbed to the infection. As she took her last breath, all Catherine could do was show the first-ever signs of sympathy, and close Savannah's eyes. It wouldn't be long until the next stage happened.

She would need to do it.

_**One Week Later:**_

Catherine stood there like she always did. But this time, her hands and face were covered with dry blood. Her white dress was swapped out for a pair of jeans, boots, and a green buttoned up shirt. A style taken from one of the previously killed survivors, who she came across.

But now there was nothing left. No food- no water. Nothing.

Savannah was gone. That was all that went through her mind. When going out into the wilderness to hide a dead body, she came across a scared, dying girl, whom she loved in her own way. But now she was gone. Killed by the very things she came to Georgia to prevent.

She made a promise to herself once. She would join John Connor as soon as Savannah came back to her. But that wasn't the case, as she was dead. There was honestly no reason to even function. There was no more mission; no Judgement Day, no fighting Skynet. Nothing.

Standing here like a complete and utter fool was what she was considering to be a valid punishment for her lack of emotion to anything, or anyone. Killing any poor soul who she came across. Now she mostly let any passers-by take some of the food for their travels. They needed it, and Savannah didn't.

She couldn't bring herself to do it. She hesitated to end it quickly when Savannah turned. She couldn't do what she was designed for and kill her. What was she now? An empathetic robot that showed emotion? She wasn't sure. But watching someone else kill her daughter's reanimated corpse was something she'd regret for days to come.

Catherine rushed out of her thoughts when she looked on at the distance, where she saw a very horrifying sight for any human.

A herd of Walkers slowly creeping their way down the interstate. Although time seemed to stop, she read 3:47 pm on her chronometer. There was still a good few hours left of daylight, and they'd soon pass by.

But being the lifeless, mindless beings they were, they would attack her once they approached. They were quite efficient at even attacking a waving flag or a leaf in the wind. If she didn't smell like them, she was not one of them.

As the herd of Walkers drew nearer, Catherine turned into a silvery mass and melted into the asphalt, where she patiently waited for the herd to pass by.

That was, until an hour later, when the herd had finally ended, and a loud explosion was heard out in the distance. Easily, she saw every Walker stop what they were doing and started walking towards the source of the sound.

With her curiosity peaked, she followed after the Herd and slithered along the ground. However, she stopped for a brief moment upon seeing something that caught her eye.

A woman walking amongst the Herd, with two Walkers on chains, behind her. Because of the two armless, and jawless Walkers, none of the surrounding dead corpses didn't attack her as the result. This was quite interesting, to say the least. Never had she seen a strange display of humans using Walkers as some sort of camouflage.

This would serve to be quite useful than just resorting to shifting around on the ground. Catherine fell behind the Herd and stopped to reform herself, before she found two lone Walkers and cut off their arms and jaws, repeating the same process as the woman. She then found an old tire swing in the woods and used it's rope as a leash to guide the two with her.

It proved to work, surprisingly. The Walkers did, in fact, serve as some sort of camo, and none of the other ones attacked her. She was invisible, thus one of them practically. It didn't make sense as to why they didn't attack her, but whatever worked, she didn't really care too much about.

Now that was done, Catherine began to follow up with the Herd as they made their way towards the unknown sound source.

•••

Hours had passed, and the long line of Walkers had suddenly dispersed and had spread out over a vast field. Since being in the very back of this large Herd, she arrived last, thus hearing what occurred on the other end. It was people who caused that explosion. It was people who opened fired on the Herd as it neared. But now…. Now it was quiet. There was not a peep, aside from the groans of Walkers.

Finally, the Walkers had moved out of her field of vision, and she had a good look at where she was at. She saw what this location was, her eyes widened, as she looked on at the smoldering barn, and the dead people having their flesh eaten. Walkers roamed about, looking for a new meal.

They were gone. Not that she planned on joining them that is. After Savannah, she saw no reason to join up with John Connor and his cyborg companions. She deemed it a punishment to be alone and to just watch from a distance. But now, she was here, and she was too late to stop anything.

"Please help me!"

Catherine's head jolted to the right, as she looked a few yards away from her, there were two Walkers shuffling after a man, whom was bound, and was attempting to get away from the dead.

He wasn't of importance. She turned, and began to stalk away, in attempts to search the whole property, until the man had spoken again; this time, begged.

"Please help me! Please!"

If she were human, Catherine would have rolled her eyes in annoyance. This man was quite persistent. She stalked up to the two Walkers and used her right arm to instantly decapitate them. With that done, she turned on her heels and began to walk away from the man. He was of no importance, and she showed all the empathy she could.

The man was shocked to see this woman's hands just turn from a silver blade, back to a fist as she stalked away with her two Walkers. He struggled to stand up, but use all of his might to drag himself closer to the woman. "Wait! Hold on! Can you please cut me free!?"

She stopped immediately, and looked back at the man, with her eyes boring at him. He gulped in fear as she stomped up to him, and stood above him with her arm transforming back into a large blade. He wasn't sure what she was, but by the looks of her lifeless face expression, she intended to kill him, and he could do nothing about it. He only wished that it would be quick and painless, and not slow, like a Walker eating you alive. He closed his eyes shut, and prepared for what was to inevitably come next.

There was nothing. No bright light, no silence. He opened his eyes and saw for a fact that he was still alive and was free from his binds. He looked back up to see that the woman was still towering above him, but with her hand extended out at him. After seeing what she could do, he cautiously took her hand and was easily lifted up onto his feet.

"T-thank you." He stammered uncontrollably, trying his best to not display any fear whatsoever.

"What happened here?" Weaver demanded flatly. The field of dead humans and the dead walking corpses brought great concern. The barn even more so, as it was engulfed in flames.

"We...we were attacked by some...some group." he hesitated. "Mine left while I was captured."

Weaver's interest was immediately caught to attention. "You were part of this group?" He nodded in response. "Where have they gone?"

"I-I'm not sure," the man stammered while rubbing his head.

"Then you are of no use to me, then," Weaver simply said. With that, she left the man she just saved, standing in the field as more Walkers were drawn towards his movements. With no choice but to run the other way, Weaver soon lost sight of the human. Maybe the dead got him, but that wasn't her concern. Finding John Connor was her priority right now.

•••

Tracking was her specialty. Finding her designated target was what she was created for. In a time that no longer existed, now she used it to find those whom she knew. Old allies and what she called friends were all that she had left. But in a world so broken, a world so engulfed by death far worse than the absent future offered, it was very slim that John Connor would be alive. Even with his cyborgs, John was human. Once bitten by the dead, the stages of his death would begin. No protector can save him from that fate.

Time and time again, Weaver spent roaming the back roads of Georgia. It had been over five days since she had lost track of their whereabouts. The only trace she ever found was the small camps they would set up before moving on. Vehicles were left in favor of having more fuel, canned food was eaten and thrown aside as they scavenged. They were here but not anymore.

Humans kept moving in times of distress and danger. With no home- no shelter, she had to catch up with them soon.

About 9.85 miles away, she could see a town drawing near. The tracks of John Connor were present, heading towards such a place of possible danger. Where he went, she went. Weaver followed the trail until she entered the deserted, and Walker infested town.

In a time where humanity ruled, all traces were frozen in time. The only remnants were the abandoned cars that were left in the midst of the early chaos. Shops were looted, people were killed. Nothing can change what happened. Just like Judgement Day, the old world ended.

There was no trace of them. Where the trail ended, she was now lost. How can she have lost them? The tracks can't lead here and just end, can they?

With no direction anymore, Weaver roamed the town until she could find some lead. John Connor can't be far, he is somewhere. Either that or he was dead. It wasn't like the world had much use for him now. His destiny was no longer needed. Humanity was dying fast.

That search soon led to an old shopping center. It was a small little mart, but it was probably still stocked with food and other provisions. The few cars parked out the back proved to her that someone was inside.

She approached the broken sliding doors until an old store shelf blocked her access. She shifted into a silver mass and crawled over the shelf until she was inside. Everything was moved to the corner, the middle of the store was expanded and tents, along with a makeshift fire was set up. With the flames still burning bright, someone was still here. But where was everyone?

_***CLICK***_

"Who are you?"

The cold barrel of the gun felt similar to her skin. The man's voice sounded threatening. If she were human, she would have trembled in fear. But she wasn't, and this man couldn't hurt her.

"Answer me!" The man spat.

Weaver whirled around and snatched the shotgun out of his hands with such great speeds, the stranger was sent flying back. In retaliation, he brandished a Glock 9mm handgun and began to unload on the redhead.

But instead of blood, there were just large silver holes that reformed after impact. His eyes widened in absolute fear as Weaver aimed the gun at him, prepared to end his life.

"Rick!"

More people came rushing out from the back, all armed with melee weapons and other firearms. She stopped what she doing when all survivors outnumbered her. She could easily kill them, but they didn't know that.

The name Rick seemed to peak her interest. That was definitely the man that was with John at the time of the CDC collapse.

The click of Ricks gun seemed to pull Weaver out of her head. "Put the gun down, or we will kill you."

She complied and dropped the weapon and rose her hands in surrender. When she turned around, she had a good look at all of them. All were dirty and looked like hell, but it was them. John Connor and Alex Mathews lowered their weapons when they saw who was standing amongst them.

"Weaver?" John inquired. "You're alive?"

"It seems you are as well, John. It's good to see you again," Weaver smirked. "You too, Alex."


	2. Chapter 2: New Haven

**Chapter 2: New Haven**

_**Georgia, March 1, 2012: (Location Unknown)**_

_Fear… confusion… all of those things. It's what scares us. The unknown is what scares us. When you don't understand something you want to deny the truth, you want to just think that life is simple, and with enough effort, you can overcome its obstacles. But the truth is… well, none of that applies anymore. Life can turn upside down so fast that you never expect it. Obstacles become more difficult when you can't see them coming._

House after house, town after town. It was all one big circle. Rick led everyone on a wild goose chase just so that they may find food and shelter. It was tiresome. With this much people to take care of, especially an amnesia having cyborg. They couldn't keep pushing like this.

He wondered how much gas they had left in all the tanks. Not much he guessed. The last vehicle that they siphoned, was over three days ago. The map began to look more like a connect the dots picture more than what it was supposed to be. There was very little food, very little water. With over a dozen people, that was bound to cause complications. The growling from his stomach was beginning to become a nuisance. They needed to find food and soon.

"These are the times I really wished I had some of Sarah's pancakes, you know?" Alex mentioned.

He had to agree. Taking those slightly burnt, slightly bitter hotcakes, for granted was the worst decision he could make. Derek and Alex were the only ones who actually could tolerate the taste. Then again, being from a future where food was more uncommon than anything else, it was bound to draw attention to the pickiest eaters of that forgotten time. With food being limited to how many owls Daryl can pluck wasn't the best meal. Only if his mother was here. She was more ready for the apocalypse than anyone here. She would have known what to do, where to look.

But she was gone.

"I miss them…. I miss her."

"Well, maybe we can find Bisquick at the next house that Rick wants to check," Alex purposed.

John only looked out the window. It was a world changed by what it brought. Humanity, the dead…. Machines. "Yeah, maybe."

Along the road, the small convoy of vehicles stopped. Everyone hopped out and grabbed their short melee weapons. There was a set routine for everyone to follow. Him, Daryl, Alex, Carl, Glenn, and Amy, were in charge of guarding everyone else while they picked the next scavenging spot. Rick, Shane, Weaver, Lori, and Hershel were in charge of finding their next place to sleep and where they can coordinate another scavenging run. The rest: T-Dog, Beth, Clementine, Cameron, Maggie, and Carol went in search of a nearby creek so that they may fill up their canteens.

"Alright, you all know the routine!" Rick reminded. Everyone obeyed the man and began their little jobs.

For John, it was hard to see Cameron so lost. Through the entire summer, through the entire winter. Her memory was fragmented. She knew nothing about herself or what she was. Luckily Weaver was able to put her back together. But not entirely. The person he knew, who she was. It was gone as far as he could tell.

Cameron rounded the car with Carol and Maggie grabbing the small two shopping baskets, filled with empty bottles. She looked at the small garden hoe that was further up the stow n' go, but didn't touch it.

Seeing this, John lowered his weapon and walked up to Cameron. "Remember what is out there." He handed the weapon to her, further implying what was smart. "Take it."

"Usually Theodore always watches us when we fill the bottles."

"I know, but you have to be ready for anything."

Cameron hesitantly took the weapon from John's grasp and nodded in acceptance. "Okay."

John silently watched Cameron join everyone before they set off into the woods. With the small group walking off in search of a nearby freshwater creek, that gave him some time to rest and collect his thoughts.

"Hey," Alex whistled. "Geek, two meters away, on your left."

_Well, so much for any rest._

John cautiously walked up to the Walker who targeted him, and used a simple pocket knife, thrusting the blade, deep into its skull. With it more dead than usual, he gave Alex the thumbs up.

Meanwhile, over by the truck, Rick's little ensemble team was studying the map, trying to find where they go next. "I say we go through Rosedale."

"We've already been through that way," Shane mentioned. "It's picked clean."

"Well, we gotta try again!" Rick hissed. "Maybe there's something we missed."

"We're going in circles," Hershel stated. "It's not helping any of us." Everybody followed his gaze to Lori who was breathing heavily.

She noticed the stares and glared back at everyone. "I'm fine. If we should be worried about anyone, it's probably Cameron."

"I've fixed her to the best of my ability, Ms. Grimes," Weaver stoically answered. "She's in working order."

"You call crying in the middle of the Goddamn night, '_working order?'_" Lori sneered.

"Look, we are all tired," Hershel said. "Being on the road for as long as we have isn't good for anyone, let alone a machine. We need a place for the baby. Somewhere safe for all of us."

"Alright, Santa Claus, while you do that, me and Rick are going hunting," Daryl spoke up. "That owl didn't exactly hit the spot."

"Then I want to take John. He's been dying to learn how to skin a deer."

"Alright," Daryl shrugged. "Then get the little priss and let's go."

Rick waved over John to which he joined. Before setting out, he looked at Shane with a stern expression. "Keep everyone in line while we are gone."

"Consider it done," Shane agreed.

With that said, Rick pulled the man into a short embrace before letting go. The three then set off, in search of food.

•••

It felt like miles to her. The woods were a tricky place when you had no recollection of what they were and how to navigate through them. Anything for that matter was tricky. This morning, Alex had to show her how to tie her boots. John had to show her how to fold a shirt. She didn't like not knowing how to do the most basic tasks. Now at this small, muddy, creek, her job was to filter water for the rest of the group.

"No, honey, that's not what you do."

_I can't even do this…_

Carol went over to Cameron who was having trouble filtering the creek water. It was the trick that Shane taught them. Using various rocks and sand, mixed with very little bleach for safe measure. It didn't work all the time, and this water didn't seem to agree with them.

"Okay, maybe we should find another water source," Carol said in defeat. The five began making their way further into the woods in attempts to finding a more fresh creek to get water.

"It's stupid that I'm out here with you ladies when I should be hunting with the big boys," T-Dog mumbled.

"Wah, wah, we all didn't choose our jobs," Maggie huffed. "Just be glad that we aren't piling Walker bodies around the trucks again."

"Camouflage my ass," T-Dog snickered. "I hate sleeping to the smell of putrid corpses."

"I really miss that motel we were held up in last week," Beth mentioned. "Why couldn't we just stay there?"

I liked that place too," Clementine agreed with Beth.

"I don't know about you, but that place was pretty haunting," Maggie said. "I'm pretty sure those blood stains were from well before the end of the world."

"I don't like Motels, either," Cameron muttered.

"First peep we got out of you all day!" T-Dog clapped in happiness.

"Give her a break, Theodore!" Carol quipped. In response, everyone busted into laughter.

"Hey! Only _she_ gets to call me that!" T-Dog spat. Again, everyone was laughing uncontrollably, aside from Cameron who had a timid smile on her face. "Ahh, screw you all."

Suddenly the bushes began to rustle. Everyone cautiously took out their weapons and got ready for whatever may lurk behind the foliage, may that be animal, people, or the dead. It was silent for a long moment. A Walker would normally just bolt out at them once it heard that they were in the area. In fright, Cameron hid behind T-Dog and waited for whatever was there to come out.

But no, it was an animal. A dog that came out of the bushes. Everyone seemed to calm down as the little beast wagged its tail, timidly.

"Awe, it's just a little doggie!" Beth exclaimed in delight. All was calm as everyone began to pet the little friendly creature. "Does he have a name?" she then asked.

"Doesn't seem like he has a collar," Carol mentioned. "Poor little guy. The end of the world just doesn't affect us, I guess."

T-Dog only chuckled. "It's just a stray. Probably knows how to survive better than we do."

Cameron was curious at the little canine. The fact that she hadn't seen one before was mind-boggling for her. She emerged from behind T-Dog so that she may get a better view of him.

Suddenly, the dog's friendly nature immediately turned into full-on hatred when it laid eyes upon Cameron. He began barking like crazy, it's fangs snarling at her, and is threatening to bite her.

"Whoa! What the hell!?" Maggie exclaimed.

Cameron began backing away as the barking began to echo throughout the forest. When the dog launched out at her, she fell onto her rear, and backed away more quickly, as the canine began getting more violent. Luckily, T-Dog bolted into action and gave the animal a stern kick on its side. With the dog running off, he helped Cameron back onto her feet.

"Are you okay?" T-Dog asked.

"Yes," Cameron quavered. She looked down at her elbow and noticed a small gash that was inflicted from the fall. It would need some attention to later.

"What the hell was that?" Beth asked with disbelief. "Why did he attack you?"

Cameron shook her head in response. "I don't know."

"Don't worry, honey, you're okay now," Carol reassured. "Let's focus on getting these water bottles filled up and let's get the hell out of here."

The group continued along the trail, continuing their search for a creek. Everyone had that look of doubt in their eyes every time they glanced at Cameron. She was a cyborg, a machine. Yet she acted like a five-year-old to most things. She couldn't even fight off a dog. she didn't know how to do most tasks, it seemed.

Only a few months ago, Cameron appeared to be this tough teenage girl. But after the farm… those people… she was a complete shell of her former self.

•••

Hours had passed, and every water bottle was filled with the freshest water that they could locate. Now that they were back at the cars, they were able to ration them out for use. Keeping hydrated was important, but they couldn't afford to drink all their water before the day was up.

As everyone came out of the woods, Alex counted each head to make sure that they were accounted for. Everyone was safe, but when Cameron emerged, she noticed the blood that dripped down her forearm. To some extent, she knew that it didn't hurt her, but after what that machine has been through, she decided to be kind and caring.

"What happened here?" She asked.

"A dog, that's what," T-Dog explained. "It didn't seem to like her."

"Dogs usually don't," Alex acknowledged. "We used them in the future to sniff out any infiltrators. They don't really like machines."

"Your future stories just seem so unreal," Beth opinionatedly muttered.

"To you, they are," Alex mentioned. "But I've lived through it twice, so it's very real to me."

Alex took Cameron to behind the SUV and sat her down underneath the hatchback. There, she pulled the medkit and looked at what was inside. There weren't many supplies. The months of extended use and people getting hurt took its toll. But the Gauss was still plentiful, so she took a roll of that and covered Cameron's elbow until all signs of blood were gone.

Once that was done, Alex smiled at her handy work. Even though Cameron's wound would be fully healed by tomorrow, it didn't hurt to treat her like the rest of the group. "There you go."

After completing her shift of guarding the vehicles, as well as all left group members, Rick, Daryl, and John finally came back from their hunting trip. Like usual, Daryl didn't have anything aside from two squirrels, but all of them appeared to have the most exciting faces.

"We found a new potential haven for us," Rick began. "A prison. It has large fences and plenty of room for all of us."

"Why do I sense a _but_ in all this?" Shane inquired.

"Walkers have taken up most of the yard," Daryl answered. "But if handled right, we can take them all out safely."

"I'm not too sure about this, Rick," Shane disagreed. "We can't afford the ammo. More importantly, we can't risk anybody."

"The Walkers are drawn to sound and movement," Rick insisted. "Just like Daryl said, we handle this properly, then we can take the yard by nightfall."

It was a stupid idea. Rick wanted to risk everyone's life for a potential shelter that was already claimed by the dead. But if executed properly, then they can reclaim what humans once owned. The risks heavily outweigh the pros, but with everything that was happening, it had to be worth it, right? Lori couldn't just have her child in a car or the street. She needed something solid, a place that was safe enough for a child. A good environment for the baby to grow up in.

After giving it some thought, Shane looked over at Rick. "If we're doing this, then we better get moving."

•••

The fence was cut, and the nearby Walkers were killed. Once they were inside the first layer of chain link fencing, Glenn tied wire around the man-made hole so that the dead can't follow them in. Everyone had to stop for a moment to look at what they were doing. There had to be at least over a dozen Walkers roaming the courtyard. All were once prisoners who were serving time in the old world for doing wrong. Now they were mindless, flesh-eating corpses, baking in the hot sun.

But that didn't concern him right now. This was the first opportunity they had since the farm. A large space for all of them. If they could get the Walkers out, then this fortified prison could be a new safe haven for him and his family.

The words he muttered to himself were beyond clarity for those to hear. "It's perfect."

"What's the plan, Rick?" Shane inquired. The yard was going to be tricky to clear. Especially with how much ammo they currently had. Across the yard, there was an open fence where more Walkers would spill out. That needed to be taken care of. "Please tell me you have something."

"That gate over there is our main goal," Rick explained while pointing to the far open gate across the yard. "If we can close it, then we can take the field by tonight."

"Yeah, well who's going then?" Shane chuckled. "I sure as hell ain't risking it."

Glenn was the first to volunteer to go into the Walker infested field. "I'll go. I'm the fastest."

"No, I will," Alex then stepped up. "Give me the chain and I'll lock that sucker."

Rick shook his head. "No, I need you two here." You, along with Maggie, T-Dog, Beth, John, and Cameron, are gonna draw them to the fence and take them out. Shane, Hershel, You're in the far north tower. Carol, Daryl, Carl. You're in this one."

"What is my task?" Weaver asked.

Rick acknowledged Weaver and handed her a gun. "You're in the field with me."

With everyone's tasks given, they all got into position and waited as Rick and Catherine walked to the prison entrance and Lori opened the gate, allowing them access.

One by one each Walker was taken out. Only by the guard towers and fences, were sounds being made. While a majority were being picked off from a distance and most by the fence, the two infiltrators were having to keep a tight formation in order to take out any of the approaching dead.

Never would he get used to the fact that the woman standing right behind him, had metal spears coming from her arms. From what Alex and John told them, she was made of some sort of liquid metal-like substance. She was a terminator like Cameron, but much more different.

Ricks thoughts were literally stopped when a Walker lunged out from his right and grabbed ahold of him. Although he was almost taken to the ground, luckily Weaver was there to decapitate the monster with one fluid swing.

"I'd focus on what we're doing right now, Mr. Grimes," Weaver strongly suggested.

He had to admit, she was right. He was made of flesh and bone while she was not. Walkers would more prefer him over her as a meal any day. He shook his head and regained his boundaries. The two continued to push for the gate so that they could close it and prevent more of the dead from spilling into the yard.

As more fell and the yard was more littered with dead Walker corpses now, it was easier to cover Rick and Catherine. They were almost there, they just needed to push harder.

Back at the fence, John had his focus on the Walkers who were latching themselves against the fence. Using his knife, he aimed straight for the brain. When it was dead, he moved on to the next one. He noticed Cameron attempting to mimic his actions but succeeding to no avail. A Walker latched itself on the fence, which scared her into jumping backwards in fright before another Walker on the outside did the same thing. She jumped again, but this time fell on her rear and started shuffling away from them as much as she could.

Seeing the immense fear she displayed, John sprung into action and took out both Walkers on both ends. When the problem was taken care of, John extended his hand out for Cameron to take. She looked up at him and gratefully accepted the gesture. When she was lifted off the gravel, John was surprised to find that she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay, it's okay," John whispered. He looked into her eyes so that she would understand. "Remember, the only way we can deal with them is by being cautious."

She didn't say anything and only accepted what he did have to say. John looked back over through the far end of the yard and found that Weaver and Rick safely made it to the open fence and closed it. Without more Walkers spilling into the yard, they could kill whatever remained, from a safe distance.

"Light them up!" Shane signaled. Everyone heeded his suggestion and began to use their handguns and rifles to kill every individual with a clean shot to the head.

Gunshots were all that was heard that afternoon. Soon the prison yard was littered with nothing but dead corpses. A place with a fence, a giant yard. The possibilities seemed endless. When the final Walker fell, it was time to enter their new home.

Carol seemed very excited as she entered the yard. "Oh wow! We haven't had this much space since the Farm!"

Everything was perfect. Well aside from the Walker that was still kicking and decided to try and grab Cameron's ankles. Glenn luckily stepped in and rammed a fire poker right into its temple, killing it instantly.

Everyone couldn't help but give her a strange glare. As she timidly walked up to their circle, she quietly listened in on what Rick had in mind.

"For now, we set up camp here. Get some rest, and get some food in our system."

Everyone accepted this order and began to take and take all of their equipment for setting up. First, the tents were put up, along with a fire later on. Luckily Daryl found a dead tree not too far away and used an axe to chop it into logs.

Now that the sun was setting, everyone was gathered around the fire. The crickets chirping in the background being their only tune as they all ate in silence. All felt perfect. For the first time since the Farm, there was no having to watch your back. This was a good start to something greater.

After Beth and Maggie shared song around the fire, everyone was gathered for what Rick was about to say.

"I know we're all tired… we've been pushing through the entire winter. But we need to push just a little more."

"But you want to push more," Shane pointed out.

"It appears that the prison fell early on," Weaver mentioned. "If that is indeed the case, then this facility will have everything you need. Food, medicine-"

It's a goldmine," Rick finished.

"We barely had enough ammo as it was just taking the yard," Hershel mentioned. "We'll run dry before we even make a dent."

"That's why we're going in there. Hand to hand," Rick explained. "We keep ranks and take out as many Walkers that are thrown at us. Weaver will lead us through."

"I admire your persistence, Mr. Grimes," Weaver smirked. "But let's not get too ahead of ourselves. You should all get some rest. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

With everything being said, Weaver left to make rounds around the fence. Rick had to admit that she had some uses. Never having to sleep did allow them to get some rest for a change.

When Rick left to do the same, John stared at the fire embers, deep in thought. There was a lot to do in such little time. The prison was going to be a major task. Getting deeper inside was going to be much harder.

John was rushed out of his thoughts when Cameron suddenly got up and walked off into the dark. With concern, he followed her out into the moonlight.

"Cameron? What's wrong?"

The cyborg turned around when she heard John, not initially that he followed. "Nothing…."

"I've known you for a long time. There _is_ something wrong with you."

"I…" she seemed to get lost in whatever her mind was at. She had been through a lot of emotional and physical trauma. When those armed gunmen attacked the farm, they all but damaged her greatly. They wanted _her_, they wanted to use what she was designed for.

Killing.

But now, now what was she?

"I hate that I can't be like all of you."

John only looked at her with perplexity. "What do you mean?"

A sniffle broke out, and from the fire not too far away, he saw her eyes becoming watery. "I don't like Walkers. I try to be brave like you, but they scare me."

Her quavering made him realize how much mental damage she had in her chip. Being almost completely devoured by Walkers caused great trauma. Prior to this, she wasn't afraid, not of humans, not of terminators, not even flesh-eating corpses. But now that she couldn't even remember her own name half the time. She was a shell of her former self.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring rub. She seemed to like that affection. Maybe it helped her realize something. "You're not alone in this, Cam. Just remember that you can always talk to me."

Cameron smiled in response. Leaning her head on the top of the young man's hand. "Thank you, John."

As the two shared a moment together, back at the campfire, Alex watched the two with curiosity. Shane was at her side like he always was. She took comfort that there was someone for everyone, even her. But with the entirety of the group knowing what Cameron was, she only feared the inevitable. Soon her dark truth would be exposed.

What then?

She remembered how Shane reacted to seeing Cameron's chrome skull for the first time back at the farm. How everyone was in complete shock at the sight of a machine.

It was getting late. Maybe it was time to get some well-deserved rest. Pondering on the what-ifs were something she'd rather do when Walkers were only an afterthought.

_**The Next Morning:**_

Waking up bright and early was what he was used to. Awaking before the faint crickets, the chirping birds. After having to lead this group across the state, he needed to always have a watchful eye on them. Everyone else was still asleep. How could he blame them? Finally, all were able to get a descents nice sleep. Sleeping without having one eye open was the best thing to have happened to them in a long time.

He wasn't the only one awake. There was a matter that two of their group didn't sleep at all. Across their little makeshift camp, John was asleep on Cameron's lap, and Weaver was turning their current provisions into breakfast for everyone.

He did have to admit, Catherine Weaver, even for a killing machine, did know how to make some decent stew.

"Good morning, Mr. Grimes," Weaver acknowledged, not taking her focus away from the pot over the fire.

"Morning," Rick returned the greeting. "How was everything after I went to sleep?"

"Good for the most part," Weaver explained. "I did as you asked. All bodies were moved and disposed of."

"That's good," Rick mused. "Anything else?"

Weaver shook her head in response to his question. "No. It was actually quite silent for the rest of the night. You didn't have to stay up so late either. I am capable of watching your people for you. A good leader needs his rest." Without any hints, she glanced over at John before looking back up at Rick. "Even if they are no longer needed."

Again, this talk of a future now non-existent still intrigued him. Sometimes Alex would share some of her stories of the post-apocalyptic world. The destruction that lingered well past the nuclear bombs that shaped the landscape, to begin with. Time travel, cyborgs, future soldiers. It was all just so fascinating. Now four of the dozen members of his group were all remnants of a forgotten time. One being destined to destroy machines now was just trying to survive the undead.

When the sun rose further in the sky, one by one, everyone began to awaken for what the day held. It was either that or the stew that Weaver cooked up. The smell and taste was far better than eating straight out of a can.

When they were done with their meal, it was time for the planning. There was the gate on the far end of the courtyard, filled to the brim with Walkers. That required too much effort to kill every single one of them. The first priority was to shut that gate like before so that they could control every flesh-eating corpse that came at them.

A plan he was considering from the get go, Weaver approved upon. Her being the unstoppable force of nature she was, gained her the right to safely lead them in.

The plan was simple. A group of five will storm the courtyard, each back to back. He already knew who to take in there with him. Weaver would take the lead. He would be there to oversee everything going smoothly. Alex and Shane were obvious candidates. Daryl would also be added to the small circle. Each knew what they were doing.

While everyone in camp got ready for what job was next, Cameron stormed around camp, curiously watching everyone pack up their tents. It was possible that everything could go wrong, so why start now? Wouldn't it be smart to wait until they were certain about getting inside?

Cameron's thoughts were interrupted when she accidentally bumped into Catherine Weaver who was heading in the opposite direction. To her, the redheaded woman was quite strange. Stoic and emotionless sometimes, she never really understood why she was that way. Alex and John dictated that she was a machine like herself, just different in her own way. She never could grasp why she was so monotone and blunt about everything.

"Hello, Cameron," Weaver stoically said to the young cyborg.

Not knowing what else to say, she stuck with a simple "hi."

"I actually wanted to speak with you," Weaver began. "Come... sit."

She did what the T-1001 suggested and took a seat in the grass. She knew what this was about. Weaver wanted to check on her once more.

Weaver's finger formed into a small blade, before using it to cut vertically down Cameron's left forearm. She winced at the sight of a blade piercing her flesh as it began to tear downward. She hated it even more when Weaver exposed what was underneath the skin. The metal, the servo motors. The blood trickling down her arm made it more uncomfortable.

Once she checked on that, she repeated the same thing with her other arm, following up with checking both calves of her legs.

"Why do we keep doing this?" Cameron inquired.

"I saw you fall yesterday. I just want to be sure that everything is in working order for you. Replacement of most of your lost connector joints proved to be a major concern when designing them."

"What do you mean?"

"Your Coltan metal combat chassis is reinforced with titanium. Simple steel can cause great strain on yourself if you are not careful."

"Am I in working order?" Cameron then asked.

"I don't know," Weaver said with honesty. "I fear your chip is still damaged."

Her eyes widened in response. "Is that why I can't remember who I am?" Cameron innocently asked.

"Your chip has sustained immense damage," Weaver explained. "I'm surprised you're still functional as it is."

Cameron couldn't help but look down with sorrow. It wasn't helping to be reminded why she couldn't remember who she was before nor who her friends and family once were. This world wasn't of anything she thought. The dead were always a constant threat, and so was the one occasional person or animal.

Weaved continued to check Cameron in even some of the most private spots imaginable. Once everything was met up to her standards, she let Cameron go back to what she was previously doing.

It was already almost noon. It was time to begin their raid.

•••

Everyone was ready. The plan was went over again and again. This time it was all about staying alive. With Weaver at the helm, Rick trusted that they'd all be safe as long as they did their part.

John was the one to open the gate, allowing the five access into the courtyard. Weaver was the first to hack her silver blade at the nearest Walker, successfully severing its head from its body. With it clear, they all moved up, hacking and slashing their way at the undead.

With each step they took, they got closer to their goal. Shane had broken off to grab a nearby riot shield left by the fallen when the prison became overrun at the start. It surely aided in keeping any lingering Walker's behind, away from the group.

When Rick and Weaver secured the gate, with Catherine kicking a literal horde back into the cage. With the gate now locked, all Walker's behind were rendered to only biting on the chain link.

Then suddenly, two Walker's came from behind a picnic table, all dressed in riot gear. At least they now knew who those shields belonged to.

A smirk appeared on Weaver's face. "I can handle this one."

She stalked up to the two Walkers and cut one in half while thrusting her blade into the other's skull. With both dispatched, everyone was finally able to take a breather.

"Thank God we have whatever she is," Shane sighed heavily. He had to admit that these machines had their uses.

"Don't thank me just yet, Mr. Walsh," Weaver told the former officer. "There is still the matter of the rest of the prison."

"She's right," Daryl agreed. "Take a look at this." Everyone turned to look at a dead Walker lying on the concrete. This one was different, however. "Why is a civilian in here?"

"There must be a breach inside," Alex purposed.

"This place did appear to fall quite early," Weaver pointed out. "No time for taking in refugees if my calculations are in fact correct."

"Then we don't know what's going on in there…" Shane mumbled. He, in turn, looked at Rick with concern. "Do we?"

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves," Weaver reminded. "I'll lead us through. Just watch your back."

With that being said, Weaver marched up to the nearest entrance, and went inside, prompting everyone else to follow.

Once in the prison, it was pitch black. Luckily everyone else, aside from Weaver, had flashlights. The halls, only being illuminated by the faint flow from outside made it difficult to detect any Walkers. Finally, there was a light at the end. When walking up to the gates, Weaver used her inhuman strength to force the door wide open, allowing them access.

It was quite literally a ghost town. Trash lay strewn all around the recreation center, making the place look like an actual dump. With the few dead bodies of officers and inmates, it more seemed like a tomb. There was a lone guard tower, lying in the center, and right next to it, the letter "C" could be seen in bold letters.

Immediately, everyone began searching the place, trying to find anything of use. Being out in the road all Winter surely brought up old habits.

Curiously, Weaver stalked up the stairs to the watchtower and opened the door without a moment's hesitation. There was a single dead guard sitting in the chair, making Weaver assess that he died during the riots that inevitably broke out during the early days of the out real. It was clear that whatever happened, the condition this man was in wasn't caused by Walkers. She took a step closer too have a closer look. There was a single bullet hole drilled into the man's right eye socket. It was highly unlikely that he committed suicide.

Before heading back down the stairwell, Weaver curiously poked the corpse, testing out whether it was reanimated like most dead humans on the earth. When she concluded that the bullet was enough to stop that process from happening, she went back to join the group.

Again, Weaver broke the gate, allowing them to enter the next room that was located just a few feet from the recreation center.

The cell block.

More and more dead bodies were strewn in the cells, some having appeared to be executed like the ones in the previous area. With all the chaos that seemed to take place here, it was no wonder that humanity has fallen so far.

Alex poked a few of the bodies, taking the extra percussion that not one was possibly still reanimated. If they were going to bring their group into this prison, then they needed to be certain that it was safe. "What happened here?" she asked with curiosity and concern.

"Executed," Weaver simply pointed out.

"But why?" She then inquired.

"Chaos," as she simply put it. "We didn't know what the virus was capable then. Whoever killed these men did it with the purpose of containing it's spread."

"Okay that's enough," Rick spoke up. "We're not here to boast about what happened a long time ago. Let's keep ourselves focused."

With Rick and Daryl going up to the second set of cells located above, Shane, Weaver, and Alex began to pick up the bodies and take them out of the cells.

It became a time consuming, and back-breaking process. For Shane at least. After all the bodies on both stories were taken outside for burning, the cell block was more or less cleaned out. Aside from the dried blood that covered the walls and floors, along with the lingering smell of death still ever present, it was safe.

When the hours slowly went by, the group outside was clear to come inside the prison. Their reactions were that of astonishment as they gazed across the room looking at all the cells.

"Is this place safe?" Hershel inquired.

"This cell block is," Rick simply answered. "We don't know about the rest of the prison."

"Then how we will know for certain that it is safe?" Lori asked.

"Just trust us okay?" Shane said a little irritated. "If anything happens we have two robots watching our backs." In response to that statement, he received a glare from both Cameron and Weaver. "Look just take our word for it."

"In the morning we will go deeper into the prison," Weaver explained. "We need to assess the condition of any inaccuracies that a wall may be down."

While everyone began to start vacating a cell to their liking, Cameron curiously walked up to the stairs where she met Daryl setting up his sleeping bag on the perch.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I don't want to sleep in no damn cage, that's what," he sarcastically answered. "Now let me be, you didn't have to carry over a dozen bodies out of this shithole."

"I could have helped if you would just let me," Cameron said with distaste.

"Yeah?" Daryl mused. "You'd just run away at the first sight of trouble like you always do."

At that moment, John came walking up the stairs where she noticed the two conversing. "Hey what's up?"

Daryl and Cameron glared at each other for a solid minute before hesitantly Looking at John. "Control where your Tin Can goes next time, that's what."

John couldn't help but give the redneck a sour look before guiding Cameron away from Daryl. "What happened?" He asked with a murmur.

"He… was just telling me how he didn't want to sleep in a cell," Cameron explained.

"Are you sure?" John pressed. "It looked like he got on your nerves."

"No," she shook her head. "He didn't."

Deciding to stop with the questions, John led Cameron into a cell that he picked out and sat on the bed. It wasn't that bad if he had to admit. Although that motel that he and the group were held up at a few weeks prior, was probably the best sleep he got in a long time. This was a close second. "Not bad," he acknowledged with a chuckle.

Cameron sat on the mattress to and felt the small bit of cushioning to be better than a car or cold hard ground. "Yes. Not bad."

"I think I might be able to get some sleep tonight," John yawned loudly.

He laid back into the bed and relished in the comfort that was absent in his life for so long. As he laid there, he noticed Cameron too lay down next him, where they both were staring up at the frame of the bunk above them. John was thrown off that she did this gesture. Her brown eyes that gazed at nothing in particular, the brown hair that was frizzier than he ever saw it be. She looked extremely beautiful.

"John?" Cameron asked, not taking her eyes away from whatever she was looking at.

"Yes, Cam?"

"What was I like… before this?"

John took a moment to ponder on that exact question. Every day she was becoming more and more curious about herself, who and what she was. "You were a little hard headed. But not in a bad way. You were strong and persistent, and you never liked when other girls talked to me."

Cameron didn't say anything, instead opting for silence. There was nothing she could say that wouldn't surprise her. She was much different before. What circumstances did this to her? Only remembering being a mangled up mess that couldn't recognize anyone, let alone John who knew her before.

Was there a way to remember?

•••

**Author's Note: I know the last chapter was a little strange but I felt that Weaver needed to come into the story sometime. She was never dismissed as being dead, she's a liquid metal T-1001. How can she be killed by a Walker?**

**This story will begin to change next chapter. We will see events begin to alter themselves in ways the show never saw. Cameron will be on a journey to find out who she was before being attacked by that group at the end of season 2. And lastly, I will begin to shed light on what actually happened back at the farm when the time is right.**

**Reviews are gladly appreciated!**


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